Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The confusing Du family lady has just appeared...
The moment Duan Zhiwei realized the change of time was when the night wind turned from hot to cool, the cicadas' chirping became faint, the lush green leaves turned golden and orange-red... and the locust leaves that were becoming unsalable day by day turned cold.
After eating the leftover Sophora japonica leaf cold noodles for a few days and everyone's faces turned green from eating them, Duan Zhiwei finally decided to suspend the supply of Sophora japonica leaf cold noodles this year.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Early in the morning, Duan Zhiwei started kneading the dough, preparing to make a bowl of Yujian noodles. It sounded nice and elegant, although to put it bluntly, it was just a steamed bun...
This food can be regarded as the ancestor of stuffed steamed buns. According to "Qing Yi Lu", Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty liked a kind of steamed bun called "Yujianmian", which was stuffed with bear bile and venison. During the Five Dynasties, steamed buns became available. In the Song Dynasty, mutton buns, sugar-coated meat buns, fish meat buns, and crab meat buns were sold all over the streets.
If the crabs are fat in October, add a large spoonful of thick crab roe to the meat paste with moderate fat and lean content, and then stuff it into the skin. When the time is right, lift the steamer and in the fragrant white mist, white and plump buns as big as a bowl will appear, with yellow crab oil overflowing. The taste is so delicious...
Pu Tao interrupted her fantasy at the right time: "Madam, why are you grinning?"
Duan Zhiwei came back to his senses, and Putao pointed outside the door: "The stonemason has dragged the stone mill we ordered over here."
Some time ago, Duan Zhiwei was thinking about going to winter. When selling breakfast, he could cook a big pot of fragrant soy milk. Just a sip of it would warm his stomach. If it was a snowy day, he would pick a bag of thin-skinned walnuts, grind them into fine walnut milk, stew them on the stove, and drink a bowl of it while sitting by the stove. It was sweet and sticky.
Therefore, stone mill is one of the indispensable items in restaurants.
Duan Zhiwei happily called everyone to carry the millstone to the backyard.
There are some tips for making soy milk. Duan Zhiwei once learned some tips from a breakfast shop owner. First, fry the soybeans in an iron pan, and then grind them on a stone mill. Not only does the soy milk cook quickly, but it is also very fragrant.
I will surely make a lot of money tomorrow morning, Duan Zhiwei thought happily as he stir-fried soybeans.
A few days ago, Su Xun, who had been feeling hungry for several days after eating locust leaf cold noodles under the corridor of the government office, walked around Duan's restaurant every morning. When he heard that there was a new breakfast dish, he came to report early in the morning.
Duan Zhiwei was busy with flour on his hands. When he saw Su Qian, he greeted him, "It's been a long time since we last met, Lord Su. Would you like a tray of Yujian noodles? Since you are a regular customer, I will give you a bowl of soybean milk for free."
Thinking that it was still early, Su Yu sat in the restaurant and waited for his meal. Soon, Duan Zhiwei came over with a tray of steamed buns in one hand and a bowl of soy milk in the other and said, "It's been a long time since we last met, Su Lu Shi. You still look so energetic."
She glanced at Su Xun's clean green official uniform and added considerately, "These buns are very juicy, so be careful when eating them."
Su Qi looked at her blankly, as if he didn't understand what she meant, but he was too busy this morning. Duan Zhiwei didn't finish her words and turned back to making dumplings.
Su Xun looked at the tray of thin-skinned and oily buns with large fillings on the table. He swallowed unconsciously, and then his stomach started to growl.
The bun looked as big as a bowl and very tempting. He forgot Duan Zhiwei's advice and took a big bite. The soup splashed out all at once, but it did not drip onto his clothes, but directly onto the face of the diner opposite him.
Su Xun was so scared that he quickly apologized. The other party was a burly man with a beard. He gritted his teeth and wiped his face with a piece of cloth. It seemed that he wanted to grab Su Xun by the collar and fight him in a duel.
Seeing him in his green official uniform again, he took two deep breaths and held it in.
Duan Zhiwei stood beside the steamer and loudly reminded everyone to take a small bite first and drink the soup before taking another bite.
The restaurant was filled with the rich aroma of beans and the meaty smell of the buns. It was a lively and hectic morning.
After noon, seeing that there were few diners, Duan Zhiwei prepared to go to the East Market and carry back two large bags of flour. Whether it was making steamed buns, wontons, yujian noodles or steamed buns, flour was an indispensable ingredient.
As usual, Pu Tao went with her to the East Market. Duan Zhiwei heard that Ah Pan's birthday was coming, and saw that she wore two sets of coarse linen clothes all day long, so she thought about buying her a piece of good material to make her a beautiful skirt.
Aunt Duan strongly recommended Yunxiang Paper-cutting Machine from the East Market to her. It seemed that this paper-cutting machine was indeed well-known. She asked around and actually found this shop.
Seeing this embroidery shop decorated in an elegant style with glazed tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, Duan Zhiwei had a feeling that the prices here should not be cheap.
With the mentality of giving it a try, she stepped into the store.
Several walls of the store were lined with mahogany racks displaying various types of papier-mâché fabrics. Many ladies were strolling around the store, fanning themselves with round fans; the business must be good.
A Hu woman in a plum green gauze skirt came up to Duan Zhiwei with a smile and began to introduce various kinds of fancy embroidery to him. The lotus, pomegranate, honeysuckle and cloud patterns were dazzling to the eyes.
But the price was indeed shockingly high. Duan Zhiwei and Pu Tao chose for a while and finally decided on a two-color kudzu fabric embroidered with moon and cloud patterns.
A piece of silk cost six hundred and twenty coins, and they did not allow bargaining. Duan Zhiwei was unable to bargain and felt a little depressed when he paid.
Several waiters carefully carried out a piece of vermilion embroidery from the backyard. The red of the embroidery was pure and as smooth as silk. Several very bright lights were lit in the four corners of the shop, making the embroidery shine like the faint flow of moonlight. It was embroidered with intricate twin lotus flowers and magpies on branches with dark gold thread. It looked like the material for wedding dresses.
Even someone like Duan Zhiwei, who was not that interested in clothing, took a few more glances at the material.
Seeing that the guests were all amazed by the material, Ms. Hu explained proudly to them, "The young master of the Pei Mansion in Hedong and the daughter of the Minister of the Central Secretariat will be married soon. This is the material that Pei ordered from us. We specially invited an artist from Dunhuang to paint a magpie on a branch."
Needless to say, this material must be worth a lot of money. On the way back, Duan Zhiwei suddenly felt something was wrong. Didn't the daughter of the Du family like Yuan Shenji? Why did she want to marry into the Hedong Pei family so soon?
When Duan Zhiwei finally arrived at the restaurant on her donkey cart, Aunt Duan was already waiting for her under the old tree outside the shop.
Then he pushed her to the shop quickly with his eyes shining: "A distinguished person has come and specifically wants to see you. Let me tell you, not to mention the pearl hairpins on his head, the yellow-ground brocade with linked beads and small flower patterns on his body is worth half a year's rent for our shop."
Duan Zhiwei had just been taught about the preciousness of the fabric, and now after being lectured by Aunt Duan, he had no choice but to follow her back to the hall.
Du Yourong was sitting on the couch, stirring a bowl of yogurt with her head down. She was indeed very beautiful, with shiny black hair and a golden filigree butterfly hairpin inserted diagonally in her hair.
Seeing Duan Zhiwei coming out, she put the yogurt heavily on the food table, and her body became more fierce, and then she laughed coldly: "Madam Duan is so clever in talking, Nanyan Temple actually fooled me."
Duan Zhiwei had indeed fooled him at Nanyan Temple, and felt a little short of breath, but thinking that it was not a big deal, he straightened his back and asked, "What did I fool you with?"
Du Yourong rolled his eyes and said, "I heard that Jinwu Guard Yuan Shenji likes to dine with you?"
Duan Zhiwei was caught off guard by her change of topic and was unable to react for a moment. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "This is the privacy of the diners. I'm sorry I can't tell you."
This was actually an excuse. Whenever Yuan Shenji had time, he would ride his tall chestnut horse to Duan's restaurant. Neighbors could all see him, and thanks to him, many diners came to the restaurant.
But this topic cannot be discussed any further. No matter how open the social atmosphere is, the story of two women arguing in a restaurant because of a man is too ugly.
Du Yourong seemed not to appreciate Duan Zhiwei's painstaking efforts. She approached Duan Zhiwei, said something, and then called the two servants behind her and smashed several food trays.
The restaurant was so lively that it had attracted many people to come and watch. The ladies in the restaurant did not dare to step forward to stop them and could only protect Duan Zhiwei. Zhen Hui, the timid scholar, was tough for once and ran to get the clothesline bamboo pole and danced around for a while, but was pushed away by the servants of the Du residence.
There were quite a few pieces of wood in the restaurant. Du Yourong nodded with satisfaction and left with his servants.
Duan Zhiwei was still standing there in a daze. Aunt Duan thought she was frightened and rushed over to protect her: "My dear, you are frightened, right? It's okay. We are all good citizens. If there is a real commotion, I will go to the government office and beat the drum to appeal for justice!"
Duan Zhiwei didn't seem to be frightened at all. She spread out her palm, which contained the thing that Du Yourong had stuffed into her hand when he approached her just now.
It was a piece of gold foil. Not to mention compensating for the dining tables, the money was enough to buy out the carpenter's shop, and the carpenter would have to pay back two more cents.
Duan Zhiwei still remembered that when she came closer, there was some determination on her pale face. When he stuffed the gold foil into her hands, veins bulged on his hands that had never touched women's water, but he was very powerful when he grabbed her hand.
Aunt Duan was also confused. It was the first time she saw Jin Bao without a smile on his face. She and Duan Zhiwei looked at each other in bewilderment.
Duan Zhiwei tilted his head and asked in confusion: "She just came close to me and said two words to me when she put the gold foil into my hand."
"What did she tell you!"
"She told me..." Duan Zhiwei looked down at the gold foil hesitantly, then looked at Aunt Duan.
"She told me...sorry."
After a light rain, the sky cleared up and the Du Mansion was filled with an elegant scene. Willow branches were draped over the jade railings, the cicadas' chirping gradually rose, the courtyard was filled with the beauty of lake water, the violets picked out from the wooden fence were in full bloom, the pearl curtains were tinkling in the wind, and the wedding gown that Yunxiang Jiaxiu had sent was hung on the rack. The black gold incense burner emits fragrance.
Du Yourong sat alone in the embroidery tower with a faint smile on her face. The daughter of a third-rank Zhongshu Shilang was actually weaving cloth by herself.
After a while, the faint smile on his face suddenly disappeared like a crack in an exquisite mask, and turned into a strange sadness.
"I will soon be a wife of the Pei family. Are you still unwilling to come out to see me?" She looked outside the house. There was only a lush and flourishing mulberry tree outside the house.
The only answer she got was the chirping of cicadas in the trees.
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